Robbery-suspect denies involvement

POSTED: 09/29/11 2:06 PM

St. Maarten – Jahmal Devon B. will have to wait behind bars until at least November 30, after his trial was postponed yesterday morning because his attorney mr. S.H. Ibrahim had not been able to prepare his defense. The 21-year-old defendant is accused of an armed robbery on June 23, and of ill-treating someone on March 27.

Judge mr. M. Keppels went through the case file with the defendant before his attorney announced that she wanted a postponement. On June 23 a man was robbed of his gold chain on the bridge that leads to the Keys in Sucker Garden. The victim told police that he crossed the bridge at seven thirty that evening and that two men had accosted him. One of them grabbed his chain and when he fought back, the second robber threatened him with a firearm.

The victim told the police that he knew the robbers, not by name, but by appearance, because they lived in the neighborhood in Sucker Garden. The day after the robbery he went back to the crime scene, talked to someone who told him that a man called Kevin was possibly involved. He went to this person’s house, talked to Kevin’s mother and also recognized Kevin as one of the robbers.

The victim said that the smaller one of the two robbers, Kevin, had grabbed his chain, while the other robber had threatened him with a gun. He recognized this robber as defendants Jahmal B. from a photo lineup at the police station.

“I have nothing to do with this,” the defendant told Judge Keppels. He also denied knowing Kevin, but he later admitted that he had hit a man on March 27, “because he hit my sister.”

The victim told police that he had been attacked by five men without any reason.

“That is a lie,” the defendant said. Bystanders interfered with the fight and the victim was taken to the hospital by ambulance for treatment.